Long-term care faces an acute supply crisis
Published: Friday, Feb 23rd 2024, 16:51
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According to a study, the crisis in long-term care could be tackled with three possible solutions. According to the trade union Unia, these are fair care funding, a social debate on the structure of long-term care and the inclusion of carers themselves in the organization of their work.
These proposals are made by the research project of the University of Applied Sciences of Italian-speaking Switzerland (SUPSI). The 2021 project was initiated by the trade union Unia. The study, which claims to be the first to put carers at the center of research, was presented in Bern on Friday.
Relationship work is the basis for high-quality care. However, the current funding regime makes this impossible and the rationing of care is damaging the mental health of carers. A care crisis is therefore looming in the care and support of the elderly, the media conference warned.
While the number of over-80s in Switzerland will almost double in the next 15 years, the staffing situation in long-term care will worsen. More and more carers are leaving the profession due to the difficult working conditions. This in turn makes the urgently needed expansion of long-term care services impossible.
More financial resources needed
A short-term improvement in working conditions was therefore called for in order to reduce the drop-out rate. More affordable services are also needed to prevent people entering care homes too early. The demographic development urgently requires more financial resources.
Three possible solutions were outlined to the media. Migrant women already play an important role in long-term care and must continue to do so. However, it is illusory to think that this is a long-term solution to the staffing problem.
It is also undisputed that more nurses need to be trained in order to meet the growing demand. However, the fact that many new workers quickly leave the industry again shows that training alone is not enough. The use of new technological possibilities is being promoted. However, robots have not yet been able to save on manpower as they are maintenance-intensive.
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